Palin Explains What Parts Of Country Not "Pro-America"

The McCain campaign is seeking to clarify a remark reported from a Sarah Palin fundraiser in North Carolina yesterday in which the Alaska Governor declared that she loved to visit the "pro-America" areas of the country -- implying, implicitly, that there were some parts of the United States she viewed as not pro-America.

The reporter who broke the story, the Washington Post's Juliet Eilperin, sends over the following, extended quote from a more detailed version of the pool report.

"We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C. We believe" -- here the audience interrupted Palin with applause and cheers -- "We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation. This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans. Those who are running our factories and teaching our kids and growing our food and are fighting our wars for us. Those who are protecting us in uniform. Those who are protecting the virtues of freedom."

Not sure how much this helps Palin out. Is the VP candidate saying that small towns are more authentically American than, say, suburbia or cities?

As Eilperin writes: "The upshot? Washington D.C. is neither 'real America' or 'pro-America.' Other parts of the nation? It's unclear, but if you live in a small town, you're probably patriotic from Palin's point of view."

Comments

[PatchyWarrior]

Are you joking? Do you really think potential issues with the mental stability of a presidential nominee are really irrelevant to the election? If so, I question YOUR mental stability.

[Wiserone]

See, "real America" to Palin is striking down Roe v Wade, pray away the Gay, 'Family Values' is just looking the other way when one's daughter gets knocked up (I know, to the Palin's it was an immaculate conception, because well, they are keepin it and that then makes it holier), and she's the neo-con's Christian Right's Poster 'Girl' and I mean that in the truest sense of the word, "Girl". Anyone want to place bets that her other teenage daughter will pull a Britney Spears sister and get pregger's too before the year is out. Or, Brooke will become pregger's again. Wow, I guess up in 'Laska completing ones education isn't important...Levi quit school to go work on an oil rig. I think the Palin's know Levi can't keep it in his pants and Brooke can't guarantee she won't get pregger's again, so they ship him out to sea, literally. See Palin is just trying to make her 'real American family' as the norm.

[wolfmason]

Her comment makes perfect sense when you consider the fact that she's been surrounded by anti-America secessionists at home for years now.

[chickenpieeggs]

I'll tell you what places are not Pro-America....Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo5cCmbnWTc

[dlinguist]

The title of this story is truncated. The full title is:

Palin Explains What Parts Of Country Not "Pro-America" By Drawing A Chalk Circle On The Ground Around Herself

[Uling]

Sarah Palin is on the road to her own destruction. Will she revive the Committee on UnAmerican activities if elected? Or a committee to decide what states and towns are "American enough"? She really is the "I Wonder -Who-She is" woman. I've got a cartoon you you to see at www.randolin.com/cartoonpolitics
By the previously mentioned title.

[mercury613]

In her post tonight entitled "The Internet and the Death of Rovian Politics", Arianna Huffington made a great point: according to Sarah Palin's logic (a contradiction in terms), the site of the 9/11 attacks would not qualify as being a "Pro-American [area] of this great nation." Nor would it qualify as "the real America", according to Palin's definition.

I wonder what Sarah Palin would have to say about that? Someone really should ask her.....

[xdr]

I guess our town of 15,000 in Colorado is not small enough to be pro-America. No wonder all my surrounding neighbors, except one red-meat and gun-loving ex-Arizonian, are voting for Obama.

[DebbieinPhx]

If it's any consolation, with some notable exceptions, even the Arizonians are turning blue too. I live in North Central Phoenix, about three blocks from one of John & Cindy McCain's houses (the old Hensley house). It is definitely a "red" neighborhood. But within the last several weeks I am starting to see more and more and more Obama signs... Ammmmmmaaaaazing.

[NTO08]

Not sure how much this helps Palin out. Is the VP candidate saying that small towns are more authentically American than, say, suburbia or cities?


If you see many of the craziness that goes on in say NYC or San Francisco, to some Americans, this would be more than true...

[mercury613]

Craziness like, say meth labs, which exist in far, far higher numbers per capita in places like Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee than they do in either California or New York?

[NoWMDs]

Not to mention Wasilla, where the small town is notoriously known as the meth capital of Alaska.

[RainyE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIc8jdra0o ~~Something to cheer you up Heh Sara Palin

[DebbieinPhx]

Oh man, that was really funny. Did you watch their next song, Vote Barack? Hilllarious!! Check it out:

Vote Barack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Lg1myJmyc&feature=iv&annotation_id=event_546913

[WowJones]

She's on the campaign trail with the Obama is a socialist line. It's a good thing she's doing interviews because I know she's incapable of giving a cogent definition of socialist.

[sclucie]

Well, she actually is granting one interview. It was on the Christian Broadcasting network. Can you remember a candidate for the VP slot ot Presidential campaign grant interviews only to the ChristianBroadcasting Network?

[UrbanInterloper]

Although I loathe and reject Palin's divisive statements, she did state one thing correctly for a change: Washington D.C. isn't like the rest of "real" America. Its 500,000+ citizens don't even have a voting representative in Congress.

http://www.dcvote.org

[romchr]

I hate her.

[SColbert]

well said.

[BernieBernie]

The Palin Jingle

Palin put the pain on McCain
Palin put the pain on McCain
The people wanted Change
McCain was just the same

Palin put the pain on McCain

Now Palin jump onto the train
Heading out to campaign
Her words could not come out
GOP’s began to shout
Palin cause some pain in McCain

Palin put the pain on McCain
Left Cindy standing out in the rain
Barack began to rock
Left John still in shock
Palin has McCain gone Insane

Palin put the shame on McCain
Wasilla just won’t be the same
The people got their change
McCain remains insane
Palin put the pain on McCain…..

God Bless America!

[Linda51]

I know that from time to time, all Politicians make mistakes or say the wrong thing.

However, Ms. Palin's comments go to the foundation of the McCain campaign which is to entice only those American's that are "one of us." Fortunately, America is very diverse and includes all types people, not just "one of us." That is why everyone wants to come here. To have our freedoms and our lives. Her comments are ensuring that the Republican party will be made up of all whites. What a shame.

[barbaricus]

Another absurd attack on Sarah Palin. According to this wild liberal theory, if you say someone is patriotic or great (put in your adjective) American; then you are implying that others are not patriotic? This is just plain stupid. And liberals wonder why the country is divided. Quit attacking people for what they say and let's start holding people accountable for what they do. Obama hasn't accomplished anything as a senator and that's a fact that the liberal media is covering up with all this nonsense.

[Osprey3]

Barbaricus: It's not absurd in the context of the type of campaign events that she has been holding the past few weeks. She's been very good at whipping up hate and divisiveness among many of her (ignorant and bigoted) attendees. Witness for example, the idiot proudly displaying a monkey doll with an Obama campaign bumper sticker wrapped around its head- an obvious racial slur. Or the hate mongers who yell out "terrorist", or "kill him" in response to her insinuations that Obama "pals around with terrorists," or "doesn't see America like you or I do." It is in this context that the remark about small towns representing the “real America" where patriotic blue collar workers reside is by implication calling into question the patriotism of other descent Americans who happen to hold a more liberal viewpoint than her own. Please don't try to sweep her hate-mongering campaign under the rug. Her intent is clear to any thinking person!

[SColbert]

when Palin says she likes visitin "pro America" cities, what else do you think it means? No media is twisting and turning this, we are not stupid. Why doesnt she just say "we like visiting places that support our ticket".

[NTO08]

Obama's fans have trouble with logic...maybe it would help if you understood how true what barbaricus says is about liberals...to make the leap you do and others do about Palin's statement is just laughable...

[NoWMDs]

Tell that to the Newts and Roves of the Republican party. It was their strategy that started the tactic of hate and division by suggesting that you are either with us or with the terrorist bullcrap. It's come home to roost since the religious right now are showing their true racist stripes at the Palin rallies. Their pent up hatred is coming though in droves for all to see. Many "true" republicans are distancing themselves as fast as they can. Maybe even Joe Lieberman (traitor Joe) will try to get back on the winning side, except we don't want anything to do with him.

[curly2]

"We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America"

Read the above. To answer your question-- yes, she is saying that small towns are "the real America," and that urban and suburban areas are not "the real America." The trick here is the "the." If you look back to high school, when they were teaching critical thinking skills, you'll remember the importance of nuance. If I were to say that the Red Sox were "a great baseball team of the 20th century" it means something heck of a lot different than calling the Red Sox "THE great baseball team of the 20th century."

Believe it or not it does matter what you say. With Palin, we have little else to go on than one RNC speech, a debate and a few quotes from outlets like the Christian Broadcasting Network. So we look to what she says to give an indication of who she is.

As to why the country is divided, I would start with comments like Palin's above, and then maybe move on to a dose of Michele Bachman.

[Wiserone]

Gosh, I just wish all the neo-cons would develop more intellectual prowess and not just keep going with the talking points that the little soldiers are given and march to. It really shows how lacking they are in intellectual nimbleness.